Post 11 throttles Rocky Mount

Playing like a fine-tuned engine that needs little tweaking, Wayne County Post 11 hammered out its third consecutive mercy-rule victory in Area I East action Thursday evening.

Jordan Quinn threw six quality innings and Adron Hollowell collected four RBI in a resounding, 17-1 conquest of two-time defending Area I East champ Rocky Mount Post 58. Wayne County earned a split in the regular-season series.

Each batter in the Post 11 lineup recorded at least one hit against three Post 58 hurlers, who permitted 20 hits on the night. Zach Grantham, who is attending East Carolina on a Teaching Fellows scholarship, batted 4-for-5 with two RBI in his return to the lineup.

"The offense was great," said Wayne County head coach Rob Watt. "Everybody had quality ABs. A lot of times when the score starts to get out of hand, guys start to give away ABs and do things they shouldn't. But our guys kept their approach.

"A couple of those guys threw against us when they came to our place, and were effective. It was good to see the same guy again and have some success against them."

Rocky Mount starter Trellis Ashley recorded a 1-2-3 first inning and surrendered an unearned run in the second inning. The right-hander fell apart in the third.

Wayne County (11-4 overall) posted five runs (four earned) on six hits. Hollowell stroked a two-RBI single during the rally. A catcher's interference, Davis' RBI sacrifice fly and RBI hits from Grantham, Taylor and Collin DuBose capped the surge.

Ashley faced three batters in the fourth and retired to the dugout for the night. Post 11 tallied five runs on six hits, including Hollowell's second two-RBI single of the night, Grantham drove in a run and Jon Taylor plated Farmer with a sac fly.

Watt's team invoked the mercy rule with a six-run, seventh-inning outburst. Rocky Mount (13-5) committed four errors, which led to three unearned runs.

Wayne County has outscored the opposition 44-8 in its last three outings, and 57-18 during its four-game win streak.

"It's important that we try to peak at the right time," said Watt. "A hot, good team is very dangerous and I feel like we have a very good team."

Quinn yielded seven hits in a six-inning stint. A rising sophomore at Southeastern Community College, the southpaw logged four strikeouts, walked two and forced Post 58 to strand eight runners on the night.

Jeremy Taylor supplied one inning of one-strikeout relief.

Wayne County's pitching staff has allowed just two runs in the last 19 innings of work.

"Jordan and Cameron (Taylor) have given us some quality innings the last two games," said Watt. "I don't think Jordan ever gets too rattled. He's been in those situations before. He threw three pitches for strikes tonight. (His) change-up was very good. His fastball was in and out, and his curveball he could throw anywhere he wanted."

Post 11 claimed its first mercy-rule triumph over Post 58 since the opening round of the 2007 Area I East Division playoffs. Wayne County leads the all-time series 59-46.